Improvement in cotton-seed planters



M. 'D. WELLS.

Cotton Planter.

w, m r m m a m N w AM PHOTD-LITHO. (20. NY (DSBORNES P3062553 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. v M. D. WELLS, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA.

r IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-SEED PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,490, dated November 6, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, M. D. WELLS, of Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia, in the State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gotton-Planters, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the hopper, which is made in the ordinary form, and of wood or other suitable material. Lying lengthwise upon the bottom of the hopper is an oblong reciprocating bar, B, which is somewhat longer than the hopper, and, passing through openings therein, extends out from the hopper ends. Near the forward end of the bar is cut an opening, through which the cotton-seed are to pass, while extending from this opening, at each side of said bar, to the end thereof, are two metal shields, D D,

for tile purpose of adjusting and regulating the quantity of seed to be dropped. From the rear of the opening to the rear of the hopper there is a groove cut in thebar, as seen at a, in which rests the bottom of the board 0. The board 0 is placed in the center of the width of the hopper, and compresses the seed in the opening as the bar B is drawn to the rear.

It will be observed that the metal shields or flanges D are sloped from the end of bar upon the boards 9 g and bar B, which together form a false bottom to the hopper, and when the bar is forced to the front the seed, dropping through the opening in said bar, rest upon the proper bottom b, where they are carried along to the forward end and drop upon the earth.

at d are small pins or lugs placed at the front and rear ends of the bar B, to prevent the same from being forced too far either way in-the operation of planting.

The front end of the reciprocating bar, be-' neath the flanges D D, is cut out, as shown,

so as to allow the required number of seed to pass between the false and proper bottoms of the hopper, and is also sloped in the rearof its opening, to more effectually and completely allowthe receiver to be filled as it isby the end of the board 0.

This invention may be attached to any of the commonly-constructed cultivators or devices for opening small furrows, while its reciprocating bar may be operated by means of a serpentine wheel 011 the axle of the drivingwheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The reciprocating bar B, constructed as described, and provided with its flanges D D, when used with the hopper A, with false bottom and dividing-board O, in the manner substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

As evidence that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

M. D. wELLs.

Witnesses WM. LAZIER, BENJ'. IsoN. 

